The Right and Wrong Way to Donate

We all have different ideas about what it means to constructively pass the time. And when suddenly confronted with more time on our hands than before, our idea of what constitutes boredom and what we consider to be time well spent, varies too. Some like to pass time by spending hours on end catching up with friends on zoom, essentially talking about more ways in which to pass the time, others prefer to engage in solitary forms of keeping busy, engaging in activities like painting or drawing or even baking bread. Others yet, have no hang-ups with sleeping their free time away.

And then there are those who like to tidy. And more often than not, tidying means cleaning out drawers and cupboards that have not experienced the light peeping in for possibly months, even years, on end. The very human thing to do, is to dispose unwanted goods and clothing items in outside donation bins. But more often than not, and perhaps in many cases not purposefully so, donation bins, when judging by their contents, tend to double up as garbage bins.

Don’t Give What You Don’t Want

So enormous of a challenge has the garbage donated tendency become, that Diabetes Canada, to name but one example, has taken to social media to discourage people from dumping unwanted items in donation bins.

The rule of thumb seems to be that if an item is to your mind no longer useable or of any real value, then it’s wrong, arrogant even, to simple assume that the same exact item will be of value to a charity. If its garbage, it belongs in the garbage bin.

Food Is Always Welcome

And to those really wanting to do a bit of good for those in need when times are tough, non-perishable food items are just about the best route to take. Cash donations are particularly helpful too, and there are many ways in which to ensure that money donated is used for the intended purpose.

Organisations like Food Banks Canada and Canada Helps are wonderful places to start when not knowing what or how to give. Hospitals too, could really do with a bit of help right around now. Instead of donating old, worn-out clothes or gadgets that have long ago given up the ghost, consider actually buying a couple of non-perishable food items the next time you go grocery shopping. It may mean the difference between being helpful and being harmful.